Palazzo Archinto, Baroque palazzo near Porta Ticinese, Milan, Italy

Palazzo Archinto at Via Olmetto 6 has a plain facade with thirteen openings: a rusticated portal by Carlo Amati at street level, first-floor windows with flat mouldings resting on lion masks, and simple frames on the second floor. The original frescoes by Bigari, Lanzani, Chiarini, Orlandi and Tiepolo were lost when Allied bombing destroyed the building in 1943; Luigi Dodi rebuilt it in the old forms between 1955 and 1967. The porticoed courtyard facing the garden survives from the original structure.

The palace dates to the 16th century, when it belonged to the Dal Conte and then the Visconti families. In the 17th century Filippo Archinto, first Marquis of Parona, commissioned its renovation from Francesco Maria Richini, and his family lived there from 1671 to 1825. Sold by Giuseppe Archinto to Giuseppe Tirelli, it was split in 1827, bought in 1853 by the Amministrazione dei Luoghi Pii Elemosinieri, and rebuilt by Luigi Dodi between 1955 and 1967 after Allied bombing destroyed it in 1943.

The palace's name comes from the Archinto family, who lived here from 1671 to 1825; Carlo Archinto (1734-1804) left it to his cousin's son Giuseppe, sixth Marquis of Parona, who sold it in 1825 to fund his new palace on Via Passione. The original frescoes, lost in 1943, were painted over the years by Vittorio Maria Bigari, Andrea Lanzani, Marcantonio Chiarini, Stefano Orlandi and Giambattista Tiepolo.

The palace is located near Porta Ticinese and currently belongs to a social institution. Before visiting the interior, check ahead since access may be limited to certain times or groups.

The palace was one of Lombardy's finest examples of Baroque architecture until Allied bombings in 1943 almost completely destroyed it. Rebuilt by architect Luigi Dodi between 1955 and 1967 following the old forms, it lost its original frescoes for good, painted over the years by Vittorio Maria Bigari, Andrea Lanzani, Marcantonio Chiarini, Stefano Orlandi and Giambattista Tiepolo.